She's run the charts and made the big boys of rap bow down to her—and now, as an American Idol judge, Nicki Minaj owns prime time . The Queen of Hip-Hop redefines success.

Nicki Minaj: Agent Provocateur

Nicki Minaj: Agent Provocateur

On her dramatic make-under for her ELLE photo shoot: "When I saw myself with barely any makeup at, it was such a… like, I'm so, so attached to my pink lipstick, it's hard. I feel that it's become a part of me. To go in front of the camera, without pink lips or big ol' crazy lashes— you know, nothing— I felt naked. It was scary! So this photo shoot was a real accomplishment in my eyes."

On experiencing bullying in school as a child: "I went through a lot of bullying early on. Girls made my life a living hell. We had come to America from a different country. My brother and I had accents. It was very tough. So I've always put up this wall— it was a self-defense mechanism growing up— because I was almost expecting people to attack me. And I still have it. It's sad."